1
as in democratic
of, relating to, or favoring political democracy
having rid itself of the yoke of colonialism, the new nation chose to be a self-ruling state
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another
was granted special status as a self-ruling province
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Recent Examples of self-ruling
Not only that, but Greenland, a self-ruling territory of Denmark, lacks the infrastructure and manpower required to make this mining dream a reality.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Like Assad before him, Sharaa now faces complex negotiations toward bringing these self-ruling territories under his command.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The dispute began when Takaichi, who was elected last month, told lawmakers that a hypothetical Chinese attack on self-ruling Taiwan, which at its closest point is about 70 miles from Japanese territory, could threaten Japan’s survival and trigger a military response from Tokyo.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 25 Nov. 2025
In recent years, Beijing has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan – a self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite having never governed it.
—Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023
In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Like Assad before him, Sharaa now faces complex negotiations toward bringing these self-ruling territories under his command.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The dispute began when Takaichi, who was elected last month, told lawmakers that a hypothetical Chinese attack on self-ruling Taiwan, which at its closest point is about 70 miles from Japanese territory, could threaten Japan’s survival and trigger a military response from Tokyo.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 25 Nov. 2025
In recent years, Beijing has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan – a self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite having never governed it.
—Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023
In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-ruling
Adjective
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Machado laid out a vision in which a future democratic state in Venezuela will set clear rules, and enforce contracts.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
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As with any discipline, there is something democratic about its effects.—
Caleb Crain,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Democrat, Republican, and independent voters (timely) often fall into the same flawed pattern when judging the nation's condition.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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The popular protein bar brand David is currently fighting a lawsuit alleging the company’s bars contain nearly twice as many calories as the labels claim, based on independent testing.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Anthropic wanted assurances from the Pentagon that its AI chatbot would not be used for mass domestic surveillance or to operate fully autonomous weapons.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
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Tesla is under several investigations related to its autonomous vehicle technology, with reports that its vehicles have run red lights, driven erratically and crashed.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Saudi Arabia is directing more of its sovereign wealth toward domestic projects.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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Currently, Paramount has announced that Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds will finance $24 billion of the acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.—
Joseph M. Singer,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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According to the agency, the vehicle had been responding to a separate incident when it was hit by the aircraft on Runway 4.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
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In less than 24 hours, two separate shootings have shaken a West Perrine neighborhood, leaving residents grieving and searching for answers.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-ruling. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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